"A Path Toward Love" by Cara Lynn James is the story of a widow in a pickle. Katherine Osborne knows her hasty marriage was a terrible mistake. Yet, now that her husband is gone, all she wants is to quietly live out her life managing the orange groves in Florida that she inherited. Creditors are calling, though, and her parents are pressuring her to return to the wealthy, society life she left behind when she eloped. Desperate for funds, Katherine strikes a deal with her dad. What she doesn't know, though, is if the deal will grant her freedom to live her life as she desires or keep her in bondage to that which she longs to escape.

The story starts slowly, but builds in intensity as Katherine's plight becomes layered with distress upon distress. Yet, Andrew, the man who loves her, and her Aunt Letty work together to help her see where to go for guidance and relief. God gives the message she needs to hear through an unexpected source.

As I read, I did find some of the characters, such as Katherine's parents, Roger, and Andrew's aunt to be unrealistically manipulative and blinded by wealth and society to truth. I realize that, to a point, their behavior was true of the upper classes of that time in history, yet I would hate to believe that any parent would be that unaware of a child's needs. Still, I enjoyed the book, and thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing a complimentary eCopy for this honest review.

A Path toward love is a sweet love story between childhood sweethearts. Kathleen and Andrew have been best friends since childhood, but a charming rake sweeps Kathleen off her feet and when she moves from New York city to Florida, she and Andrew lose touch. Several years later Kathleen, now a widow, is being pressured by her parents to move back to New York and remarry within their social circle. And Andrew, who is now working for her father, realizes that his feelings for her have never disappeared.

Like most of this authors books, I enjoyed it very much. This book reads slow and sweet with lots of God and faith. mixed in. The characters were well written and the plot flowed very nicely.

Katherine is a young widow trying to make a go of her late husband's Orange Grove, the only thing of value that he left to her name. But despite her efforts she just can't make end meet, and in order to get a loan from her prosperous parents, she must do what her mother requires. Which include marrying the son of her mother's best friend. Meanwhile her friendship with her childhood friend, Andrew, is rekindled. Will Katherine be forced to marry a man she doesn't love?

This was a tough book to read, because bad things just kept on happening to poor Katherine! I felt so bad for her! Everything just seemed to stand in her way.

There were some characters that frustrated me to no end, mostly Katherine's manipulative mother, who was just awful! And Randy who was a shallow rich kid who would do anything, including marrying a girl he didn't love, to avoid actually having to do real work.

For me personally, this book moved rather slowly, mostly because I was tough to read about how horrible her parents were. But I liked how Katherine really grew spiritually, and I could relate to how she had a tough time looking past the present problems to a way out.

My favorite character had to be Andrew, who was the perfect hero, with a noble heart that was honorable to the core. He had a strong faith, and he was not only a good guy, but an encourager in Katherine's faith.

Aunt Letty was fun too. She was a spry older woman, who had led a full life, had strong faith and knew her mind.

Overall this tale was one of triumph over seemingly overwhelming odds. The characters were well delveloped, there were ones I loved and ones I strongly disliked. Katherine reallly grew through this testing of her faith, and Andrew was a constant friend who was the soul of honor. I guess for me I just have to say that I had the hardest time reading about all the bad things that were happening, so for me it was tough for me to be fully engaged. So I would recommend this book to fans of the Guilded Age and who like novels where faith is tested.

I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. Thanks!

I have read a couple of Cara's other books and have enjoyed them overall. They are the slow sweet read for the time when you want something quiet. Not a lot of action or adventure, but sure comes in handy for those rainy days. Doesn't stand out but still a good novel.

A Path Toward Love is not in a series, which is different from her other books. Katherine is a strong character who made a bad decision in the past and is now paying for it. Her parents really made me sick. She finally stands up to them but I had a hard time reading about them.

There is a strong thread through this book about forgiveness and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Not just an average go to Church and all but one where you pray daily and seek His will for what path to take. Not overly preachy but there is a good amount.

A good book and enjoyable read. Check it out for the rainy day blues.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes. I did not receive any monetary compensation.

Cara Lynn James in her new book, "A Path Towards Love" published by Thomas Nelson takes us to into the life of Katherine Osborne in 1905.

From the back cover: Katherine came home to forget her past. The last thing she expected was to find her future.

Young widow Katherine Osborne returns to her family's rustic camp on Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. She's determined to live a quiet life, but her socialite mother is equally determined to push her into a new marriage while she's still young.

Andrew Townsend has known Katherine since they were children. An attorney who is successful, but not wealthy, he knows she is socially out of his reach. But he's curious about what changed the free-spirited girl he once knew into this private, somber young woman.

Katherine has kept hidden the details of her unsuccessful marriage. When past sins come to light, she must turn to God for the courage to be honest. But how can she trust the God she feels has let her down? When she confides in Andrew, their relationship takes a dramatic turn into uncharted territory.

Amid impossible obstacles, two young people must learn to trust enough to walk the path that God has cleared for them. A path that leads to healing and restoration. A path toward love.

Hurt, emotional trauma and lies, these are the things that drive us forward into areas that we really do not want to go and keep us from the places that we do want to go. "A Path Towards Love" is a delightful read full of atmosphere and history. Katherine is a young widow who was thrust into the world of tending Orange Groves and is in over her head. "A Path Towards Love" is about being a woman doing business in a "man's world". It is about honesty, rebuilding your life and moving forward in a new direction. It is about trusting God and learning to lean on Him for His guidance and direction. Katherine and Andrew are so real Ms James makes us root for their romance to blossom. Ms. James knows how to tell a story that is both interesting and delightful and I recommend it highly.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."